A Poplar woman pleaded guilty to causing a fatal car crash that killed another woman.
Rachel Aileen Goodbird, 29, appeared in Montana Federal Court in Great Falls and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. She was detained pending further proceedings.
Goodbird was the driver in a crash that killed Brenda Bigleggins, 58, in 2021.
On July 24, 2021, Goodbird was driving Bigleggins vehicle in a reckless manner, with Bigleggins being the passenger. Court documents state Goodbird was driving approximately 80 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. The vehicle was unable to make a turn, entered a ditch and hit an embankment, documents state.
Bigleggins was found unresponsive in the front passenger seat and transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was not wearing a seat belt. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries, documents state.
Goodbird faces a sentence of up to eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol.
You must log in to post a comment.